Yankees sign Australian pitcher Brandon Stenhouse

The Yankees signed an Australian pitcher to a six-figure deal that could make him a millionaire by the time he’s 18.

Brandon Stenhouse, 17, signed a deal to professionally play for the Yankees organization after American scouts flew to Austrialia to watch him pitch.

“It’s still sinking in and I was a bit nervous signing the contract but it is a dream come true,” Stenhouse told the New York Post. “I was never sure it was going to happen.”

Although there were other teams interested in the young pitcher, the Yankees sealed the deal with a signed contract, a full educational scholarship and a bag of items which included a Yankees ball cap.

Stenhouse will report to the Yankees spring training camp in April for orientation before returning to Melbourne, Australia to finish his final exams for school, after which he will move to the United States to fulfill his dream of being a professional baseball player. Australian baseball scout John Wadsworth said Stenhouse will be given every opportunity to become a star.

“I have been waiting for many years to see if Brandon Stenhouse had the physical and mental makeup to be considered as a possible Yankee,” he said.

“I am pleased to see just how far this young man has progressed and his future is exciting to us all.”

10 Responses to Yankees sign Australian pitcher Brandon Stenhouse

I wonder how much the Yankees actually gave him because "six figures" doesn't add up to $1 million. There is a huge difference between signing an amateur kid to a $100,000 deal and a $999K deal. The article in the Post was actually an Australian news article and you can tell by the hyperbole that they are not used to MLB teams signing their kids. We know that he can throw up to 93 mph, but beyond that he is a bit of a mystery right now.

I'm glad to see the Yankees are finally getting into the International Market in a big way. They have missed so many good players by not participating to the degree other teams have. Hope this one works out. Ron Tamoschat